In 2012, Sachin Tendulkar was on top of the world. He was breaking every batting record and was piling up runs in Tests and ODIs. And while all these were happening, the prospect of Sachin Tendulkar retiring from the International cricket scenario was haunting every fan. The question on the mind of every Indian cricket fan was ‘who after Tendulkar?‘
The answer came from the Master himself. When asked the same question, Sachin Tendulkar replied with two possible options. He gave the names of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Virat is already a legend in ODI cricket with his 35 centuries. The only man to score more centuries than Virat in ODIs is the God of cricket himself, Sachin Tendulkar.
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Statistically speaking, Virat Kohli has not even played half the ODIs that Sachin has played in. So far in his 10-year career, Kolhi has played 202 ODIs, has scored 9588 runs at an amazing average of 58. In these, he has scored 46 fifties and 35 centuries. If he continues on his merry way, he will surely break the record of Sachin Tendulkar.
The master is aware of that and is ready to congratulate Virat once he breaks the record. Sachin has revealed his plant to congratulate Virat whenever he will cross the milestone. Sachin said, ” I will go and share a bottle with him if he breaks my record. I won’t send him champagne bottles; I will go there and share it with him,”
In a recent event of the Book launch of Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians, Virat Kohli also opened up when he was questioned about Sachin Tendulkar, he said:
“I don’t have too many people who are very close to me. That is just the way life has gone on for so many years. Because naturally when someone has stuck by me in tough times, I value that person a lot.”
He added:
“I continue to do that. The impact he has had in my life growing up…. I understand the importance of it.”
“If someone can inspire you like that and you end up becoming someone and you feel like there is no greater pleasure than that. So that (handing his father’s threads over to Tendulkar) was just a gesture of thank you to the guy who has inspired me to do what I am doing. For me, the human connection is paramount.
“Incentives, gains … these things do not matter to me. If someone is honest with me, that’s what matters,” he said.
Three generations grew on Sachin. Virat has taken the load from him. Hopefully, he will bear it.
